Box Score

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Freshman setter Kailyn Gilbreath contributed 25 assists to help spur UTA volleyball to a three-set sweep over Middle Tennessee State University (25-14, 25-23, 25-23) in the Bruiser Showcase on Friday afternoon at the Curb Event Center on the campus of Belmont University.

UTA (4-1) bounced back after a grueling five-set loss at Belmont in the morning of the doubleheader on Friday to open the Bruiser Showcase. UTA cruised to the first-set win before fighting off MTSU with 25-23 wins in the final two games. UTA finished with a .244 hitting percentage, with 36 kills.

LEADING THE MAVS
Gilbreath led the Mavs with a match-high 25 assists, adding two kills and seven digs. UTA got nine kills from junior Zhanelle Geathers, eight kills from sophomore Kylie Jedlicka and seven kills each from senior Qiana Canete and sophomore Madison McConnell. Freshman Tessa Harfield registered three kills, with Canete adding seven digs. Sophomore libero Madelyn St. Germain finished with a team-high nine digs.

NEXT
UTA wraps up its stay in the Belmont Bruiser Showcase on Saturday with a 11 a.m. CT matchup with Idaho State, with live coverage available on UTAMavs.com.

SET ONE
UTA opened the scoring with a kill from Kylie Jedlicka, off the assist from Kailyn Gilbreath, before MTSU notched the next two points for a 2-1 lead. Zhanelle Geathers evened it up with her first kill and the Mavs went on a 4-0 run to take a 5-2 lead. After MTSU closed to within two at 5-3, Geathers started a 5-3 run that lifted the Mavs to an 11-6 lead and forced a MTSU timeout. Qiana Canete and Madison McConnell came out of the timeout with kills for a 13-6 lead. UTA extended its lead to 18-9 after the final MTSU timeout of the set after a kill from Geathers. UTA continued to roll through the first set, finishing a 25-14 win.

SET TWO
The Mavs dropped the first point but stormed back to take a 7-2 lead, getting kills from Geathers, Tessa Harfield and Kylie Jedlicka before a timeout from the Blue Raiders. UTA extended its lead to 14-6, highlighted by a Canete kill. After Gilbreath's kill to go up 18-10, MTSU scored the next three points, prompting the first timeout called by Coach J.T. Wenger in the match. Harfield gave the Mavs a 20-13 lead with her third kill. Jedlicka's fourth kill lifted UTA to a 22-15 advantage. The Blue Raiders then mounted a furious 8-3 run to force a UTA timeout with UTA leading 24-23. Canete finished off the set with a kill out of the timeout for the second-set win.

SET THREE
The Mavs jumped out to a 2-0 lead as McConnell's sixth kill spurred a start. The teams traded blows that saw the Mavs trail by two at 13-11 following a Vonnie Covington kill. UTA stormed back with a kill from Geathers to even the match and saw set-tying points from Jedlicka and Canete as the game went to 20-20. After UTA took a 22-20 lead following a MTSU error and a timeout, the Blue Raiders evened it back up at 22-22 to prompt a UTA timeout. Canete's kill gave the Mavs a 23-22 lead and McConnell earned UTA set point with her kill for a 24-23 lead. Geathers teamed up with Jedlicka to finish home the set, 25-23.

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